An evacuation order for part of the Miyakoji district of Tamura, Fukushima Prefecture, was lifted April 1, but many residents haven't returned yet because of lingering concerns about radiation. They are also worried about the lack of jobs, shops and medical services.
The area was the first in the 20-km-radius exclusion zone set up around the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant after the March 2011 meltdowns to have its evacuation order canceled.
Of the 357 residents and 117 households registered as of the end of February, only one family had returned by April 10. This means the tally hasn't climbed much from the 90 people and 27 households that had entered the long-stay program as of March.
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